Return loss

Return loss is like a measuring stick for how good a connection is between two parts of a communication system. Think of it like a game where you're trying to throw a ball back and forth with a friend. The better you both are at catching and throwing the ball, the less times the ball will bounce on the ground or get dropped.

In the same way, when we transmit signals through wires or cables, we want to make sure that they travel as smoothly and efficiently as possible. But sometimes, a little bit of the signal doesn't make it all the way to its destination, or some of the signal bounces back to where it came from.

Return loss tells us how much of the signal didn't make it through, or how much of the signal bounced back. It's like measuring how many times the ball bounced before it was caught, or how many times the ball got thrown back instead of continuing on to the other person.

The lower the return loss, the better the connection is between the two parts of the communication system because that means more of the signal made it through without bouncing back. So, if we want to make sure our signals are being transmitted accurately, we want a low return loss!